From Concept to Published, the Ins and Outs of Choose a Domain and Host

So you have your website all planned out, a grand vision of how it's going to look, your jewel of creation. Perhaps you have already designed it offline. You might have a product to sell, or a service you will offer to visitors on the world wide web.

To get your website from offline to "out there", there are a few steps you will need to take. But do not be intimidated, it is a simple matter and not too scary if you take it one small step at a time.

Choosing Your Domain Name

The first thing you need is a domain name. Choosing a domain name is an important choice for any business. It is how your visitors will reach you, like a number in the phone book, except that you get to use letters as well as numbers.

It's important to choose a domain name that it sticks in the mind of your visitors, so they will visit you again in future. The name you choose should relate to what your website is offering.

You should therefore think very carefully about:

• What information, product or service is your website is offering?


• What is your target audience?


• What is your unique selling proposition?

A useful tip is to consider the main theme of your website and include a word relating to it if possible. For instance if your website is about German holiday destinations, then including the words "German" and "holiday" in your domain name will help your website list higher in the search engines for searches relating to your theme.

Tip: Your Domain Name Should Stick In the Minds of Your Visitors

Your domain should be short and easy to spell, as often visitors wishing to return to your website will type in your domain name in the browser address bar, rather searching in Google, so the easier a domain is to remember the better. A general rule of thumb is to use three words or less in your domain name.

Dashes In Your Domain Name

Generally it is also better not to include dashes ("-") in your domain name. The trouble with dashes is that visitors will have trouble remembering your domain name when typing it in the address bar. One the other hand some claim that dashes between words gives you a slight advantage in ranking in the search engines. One simple compromise to this dilemma is to register both the domain name with dashes and without.

How to Register Your Domain Name

When you have selected a domain name, you must then check if your preferred domain name is available. Ensure you have several variations of domains in case your preferred option is taken. A company that allows you to register a domain name is called a domain registrar.

The typical cost for registering a domain is around $10-12 for an entire year, you can also register your domain on a 2 and 3 year basis. There are hundreds of domain registrars on the web and many web hosting companies offer a domain registration service to their clients also. GoDaddy and NameCheap are two major domain registrars who offer exceptionally cheap prices on domain name registration.

Finding a Web Hosting Company

Once you have registered a domain name you will need to find a web hosting company to make your web pages available for everyone on the World Wide Web to see. The type of web hosting company you use will depend on your unique set of circumstances. If you're just starting out, inexpensive, shared web hosting can be purchased from around $4-10 per month and is likely all you need.

When researching and comparing web hosting companies, it is generally wise to treat most online review websites with a grain of salt. Most are affiliates who only promote the hosting companies that pay the most in advertising fees.

Take a wide variety of sources into consideration information from including:

• Magazines


• Web Hosting Forums


• Web Hosting Directories


• Online Reviews


• The Forums of the Web Hosting Company themselves


• Especially take note of the opinion of existing customers, who have experienced the web host's services first-hand.